Brothers Anthony (right) and Josh Rodriguez (left) of Righetti High brought the results of their homework to the school’s gym for the Pac-7 league wrestling finals on Feb. 6.
Anthony, a junior, captured the league title in the 125-pound weight class while sophomore Josh won the 103-pound crown and was named the league’s Lower Weight Class Most Outstanding Player.
Josh, who went 3-0 for the night, pinned the award on the effort he put forth inside and outside the wrestling room.
“Last year, I wasn’t able to show anything because I went JV,” Josh said. “This year, it felt good that I was able to go varsity and win it.”
After last year’s third-place finish in the finals, Anthony polished off his shot at redemption with three wins.
“This year, I just worked a lot harder,” he said. “I thought I deserved to take first.”
Training together on a mat in their garage, the Rodriguez brothers started wrestling when Anthony was a seventh grader and Josh was in sixth. Anthony hoped the sport would make him a better football player. As it turns out, he liked wrestling more and made a permanent switch.
“It’s not a team sport, it’s individual,” Anthony said. “When you do win, you know you worked harder than the other guy. If you lose, you know it was because of you. It’s no one else’s fault.”
Righetti wrestling coach Dutch Van Patten said the brothers’ stellar showing in the finals was indicative of their entire Pac-7 season.
“Everywhere they’ve gone they’ve shown really well, and they’ve improved all year,” he said. “We’re proud of them for taking league—but that’s just the first step.”
The Rodriguezes are already preparing for the next chapter. The team’s California Interscholastic Federation playoffs take place Feb. 13, followed by the CIF Southern Section Division I Individuals Tournament on Feb. 20. The tournament’s top five finishers move on to CIF Masters; the top nine there continue to the State Meet.
It’s a tough road, but Van Patten thinks both boys have a legitimate shot at going all the way to Bakersfield.
“At this point in the year, a lot of it becomes mental,” he said. “Right now, they’re both sitting really well. They’re focused and ready to go, so that’s what we’re really getting to prepare for.”
This article appears in Feb 11-18, 2010.